Hydrogenated heavy oil



Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE aioslzso nYnnoGENA'rEn HEAVY on.

William H.0armody, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to The Neville Company, a corporation or Pennsylvania No Drawing. Application November 28, 1936,

Serial No. 113,260-

This invention relates to the treatment of phenolic'heavy oil.

In the production of phenol-modified resins of the coumarone-type, by conducting in a mixture of crude solvent naphtha and phenolic reagentsimultaneous polymerization reaction and reaction involving the phenolic substance, the result-- ant phenol-modified coumarone resin has in its content phenol-modified polymers in different 10 stages of polymerization. By suitable procedure, such as steam distillation, subsequent to the resin-forming reactions, the resinous products are separated into a solid, alcohol-soluble resin and a soft fluid substance consisting oi polymeri- J" ized and phenol-modified products of, indene,

coumarone, dicyclopentadiene, or the like, which heavy oil is when gently heated a solvent for cellulose acetate. I p The undesirable qualities of this phenolic heavy oil are arelatively dark color and an unpleasant odor. I have greatly improved the color and odorof the phenolic heavy oil by hydrogena- In initially attempting, by hydrogenation, to Q5 improve the color and odor'of the phenolicheavy oil, I subjected it to hydrogenation under conditions suitable for hydrogenation of a "coumaro'ne heavy all without phenolic modification.

That is, I introduced the heavy oil, together with a solvent and a substantial quantity of Raney nickel catalyst, into a pressure bomb'arranged for agitation of its contents. Under heat, and with agitation, hydrogen was introduced under such pressure and for such time period as to efiect hydrogenation of the heavy oil to a substantial degree. A typical procedure of this sort may be given as follows:

eavy 011--..--" 100 grams A A 0 Nckel catalyst..- 100 grains chgrged into Cyclohexane 200 cc. rogenatot:

Conditions:

Total time: 2% hours. Maximum Hz pressure: 10804; at beginning.

Maximum temperature: 198 C. at end.

In operation, the hydrogen was admitted to 1080# and heat applied. At very moderate tem peratures the pressure drri 50 The bomb was recharged to '1080# and the pressure dropped to 470# .at 192 C. The third charge to 1080# proved to be suflicient with thepressure failing to drop below 630# at K195 c. when held there for approximately 30 minutes.

5 The product obtained by this procedure was a Heavy oil 460 grams 'No solvent pped to 320# at 170 C.

clear, colorless heavy oil free from its original phenolic odor. It had a faint alcoholic odor rethe severity of the treatment resulted in aromatic ring and double bond saturation, with the formation of an alcohol group instead of a phenolic group.

Upon further investigation, I have discovered that I can, by hydrogenation, very substantially improve the color and odor of the phenolic heavy oil without detriment to its solvency for cellulose acetate. This I do by hydrogenating the heavy oil to an extent equal to but a small proportion of the theoretically possible. To effect this purpose, I operated with a decreased-{quantity .of

- catalyst, and under decreased severity in the conditions of temperature and pressure. A typical example of my satisfactory conditions may be given as follows: 1

' Example No. 1

charged into hy- 48 grams drogenator Nickel catalyst I then repeated the dosage of hydrogen two additional times, in each step limiting the pressure to a maximum of 100 pounds and limiting the temperature to a maximum of 92C. The total time of actual hydrogenating treatment was approximately three hours, one hour being allotted to each dosage of hydrogen.

Results The result of this step-by-step, andrigidly controlled, hydrogen modification was to produce a clear and very light colored phenolic heavy oil of greatly reduced odor.

The heavy oildid not suffer impairment in its capacity to dissolve cellulose acetate.

Comparing the weight of hydrogen introduced into the heavy-oil by this above-described prosembling cyclohexanol and related compounds. This strongly hydrogenated heavy oil is not, hawever, a solvent for cellulose acetate. Apparently cedure with the weight of the unmodified heavy oil, I found that I had introduced hydrogen in a quantity equal to about 3% the quantity in which it might theoretically be introduced. The problem was then to find how far hydrogenation might be carried without impairing the solvency of the heavy oil for cellulose acetate. The following example approximates optimum conditions.

Example No. 2

Heavy oil 460 grams Nickel catalyst"..- 48 grams charged into by No 801v em drogen'ator Procedure A Similarly to procedure in Example 1, the hydrogen was supplied in 100 pound dosages, the

pressure never exceeding a'maximum of 100 ,pounds. 'I'he temperature at no time exceeded 100 C. I w Insteadof employing 3 successive dosages of hydrogen of 100 pounds each,'6 dosagesin'the same quantity were employed, the pressure being permitted to fall to zero after each injection of hydrogen. r Results The phenolic heavyoil as-so hydrogen-modified had an almost imperceptible coloration, and its odor was only faintly reminiscent of phenol.

The heavy oil did not suffer impairment in its capacity to dissolve cellulose acetate.

It will be observed, the quantity of heavy oil treated being identical with the quantity treated in Example Nonl, that the quantity of .hydroger introducedinto the heavy oil is doubled. The

%, of the theoretically possible. When introducedin quantities exceeding 10% 6f the theo-- reticalfhydrogenserved increasingly to impair the solvent powerpf the phenolic heavy oil for :cellulose acetate. The conclusion was that hydrogenation of the phenolic heavy oil should not ,be continued to a point greatly exceeding 10% the theoretically possible, and that the best resuits are attained when hydrogenating to an extent equal to from 4% to 9% of complete theoretical hydrogenation.

- It should be explainedthat, in preparation for each hydrogenation, the hydrogenator is flushed free of air by hydrogen, so that a completely hydrogen atmosphere exists within the hydro genator during actual hydrogenation. Also vit should be understood that-the step-by-step pro cedurej given in the examples was employed chiefly as a convenience in feeling my way, after deciding that a substantially less than complete hydrogenation might cause substantial improvement in the phenolic heavy oil, without in practical effect lessening its utility. Thus, if the quantity of heavy oil subjected 'to hydrogen mod iflcation be relatively small, all the" hydrogen may be introduced at one charge. If, however, the heavy oilis treated in relatively large batches,

resort is again desirably had to a step-by-step procedure, in order that the employment of ex- .cessive pressure may be avoided. .Generaliy, it

ing increased use in the arts. The phenolic heavy oil, as such, is a good solvent for the cellulose acetate, but is, when unmodified, an undesirable solvent for cellulose acetate in preparing cellulose acetate for many of its uses. By freeing the phenolic heavy oil of its objectionable qualities, while retaining to the full its most valuable property, I have succeeded in obtaining a product of substantial conmier'cial and technical value. I

I claim. a my invention:

1. Asa composition of matter a heavy oil consisting primarily of the soft fluid steam-volatile product of those polymerizables found in crude solvent naphtha resulting from polymerization and reaction of, those polymerizables with a phenolic substance in a mixture of crude solvent naphtha and a phenolic reactive and modi- -fled further by hydrogenation up to a point at which hydrogen modification serves to render the phenolic heavy oil approximately colorless and odorless and below a point at which the phenolic heavy oil loses its inherent capacity to dissolve cellulose acetate.

2. As acomposition of matter a heavy oil consisting primarily of the soft fluid steam-volatile product of those polymerizables found in crudesolvent naphtha resultingfrom. polymerization and reaction of those polymerizables with a phenolic substance in a mixture of crude solvent naphtha and a phenolic reactive, said phenolmodified heavy oil being when heated a solvent for cellulose acetate, and said heavy oil being approximately colorless and odorless by virtue of reason that cellulose acetate is a material iindhydrogenation not greatly in excess of 10% the theoretically possible hydrogenation of the heavy oil.

3. As a composition. of matter a heavy oil con- ;sisting primarily of the soft fluid steam-volatile product of those po'lymerizables found in crude solvent naphtha resulting from polymerization and "reaction of those polymerizables with a phenolic substance in a mixture of crude solvent naphtha and a phenolic'reactive, said phenolmodifled-heavy oil being when heated a solvent for'eellulose acetate, and said phenol-modified heavy oil being approximately colorless and odorlessby virtue ofhydrogenation within the approximate range of 4% the theoretically possible hydrogenation of theheavy oil and-9% thetheoretical possible hydrogenationv of the heavy'oil.

4. As a composition of matter a heavy oil consisting primarily of the soft fluid steam-volatile product of those polymerizables found in crude solvent naphtha resulting from polymerization and reaction of those polymerizables with a phenolic substance in a mixture of crude solvent naphtha and a phenolic reactive, said phenolmodifled'heavy oil beingwhen heated a solvent for cellulose acetate, and said phenolic heavy oil having 'a' color depth and odor substantially reduced by partial hydrogenationwithin a range below about 10% the theoretically possible hydrogenation of the phenolic heavybil.

' WILLIAM H. CARMODY. 

